Obsessed Attacker Strikes 14th Time In Lower Mainland

CBC

Posted:
01/14/2012 1:30 pm EST
Updated:
03/15/2012 5:12 am EDT

An arson in West Vancouver Friday morning is linked to an investigation into a mysterious series of more than a dozen attacks involving the Justice Institute of B.C. and ICBC, police say. (Alamy) | alamy

An arson in West Vancouver Friday morning is linked to an investigation into a mysterious series of more than a dozen attacks involving the Justice Institute of B.C. and ICBC, police say.

A fire at a home in the 1000-block of Lawson Avenue was quickly put out by firefighters and there were no injuries.

Investigators were quickly able to determine the fire had been deliberately set.

Property records show the house belongs to a former West Vancouver police chief Scott Armstrong.

The latest attack brings to 14 the number of victims whose homes and vehicles have been targeted since last April with fires or shootings.

The victims have been employees, former students or otherwise loosely connected to the training centre in New Westminster for police, fire and ambulance personnel.

An RCMP investigation has revealed a possible link to an unnamed former ICBC employee who allegedly accessed the personal information of 65 people at the Justice Institute.

“We are trying to figure out where that [personal] information has gone, who is reacting to having received that information and why these criminal acts are occurring, and why there is a common denominator to the Justice Institute,” said RCMP Sgt. Peter Thiessen. “It's very difficult and extremely complex.”

In December, police revealed an ICBC claims adjustor who had been fired also had at one time accessed license plate numbers to find the addresses of people connected to the institute.

Investigators don't know who the adjustor was allegedly passing the information to.

But Thiessen acknowledged that authorities are concerned that even with all the publicity, whoever is responsible apparently has not been scared off.

“It's extremely concerning. I think it speaks to the type of individual we are dealing with,” Thiessen said.

An arson in Surrey Jan. 7 also has been linked to the same string of attacks. There were no injuries and little damage in the incident.